Phelps and Franklin Expected to Headline Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara Field

Note: Media interested in covering the Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara must apply for a credential online at usaswimming.org/media by 5 p.m. MDT on Friday, June 13. Applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

The four-day meet is slated for June 19-22 at the George F. Haines International Swim Center.

In addition to Franklin, who recently wrapped up her freshman season at the University of California, Berkeley, a number of Bay-area standouts also are expected to compete. The lineup of Cal Olympians expected to swim in Santa Clara includes: Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash.), Rachel Bootsma (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.), Anthony Ervin (Valencia, Calif.) and Caitlin Leverenz (Tucson, Ariz.).

Former and current Stanford University swimmers expected to compete include the likes of 2013 FINA World Championships team members Eugene Godsoe (Greensboro, N.C.), Maya DiRado (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and BJ Johnson (Seattle, Wash.).

Other U.S. standouts slated to swim in Santa Clara include Olympic medalists Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), Elizabeth Beisel (Saunderstown, R.I.), Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.) – who tops the men’s Arena Grand Prix Series standings – Matt McLean (Sterling, Va.) and Allison Schmitt (Canton, Mich.). In total, more than 60 members of the USA Swimming National Team currently are slated to compete.

The action begins Thursday, June 19 with timed finals for distance events at 4 p.m. PDT. Competition Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22 features 9 a.m. PDT prelims, followed by 5 p.m. PDT finals

Tickets are required for each session and can be ordered online at santaclaraswimclub.org or purchased at the Swim Center store before or during the meet.

Universal Sports Network will televise live coverage from the Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22 at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. Click here to find Universal Sports Network on your television provider. Additionally, a live webcast of the entire meet will be streamed online Thursday through Sunday via usaswimming.org.

The Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara is the sixth and final stop of USA Swimming’s 2013-14 Arena Grand Prix Series, which provides the nation’s best swimmers opportunity to face top-flight competition on U.S. soil.

Dwyer tops the men’s Arena Grand Prix Series standings through five meets with 46 points, while Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu leads the women’s standings with 57 points. Click here for a complete leaderboard and additional series information.

As part of USA Swimming’s partnership with Arena, the Arena Grand Prix Series offers swimmers the opportunity to take home prize money for top finishes in all individual Olympic-distance events. In total, $150,000 in prize money is available to be distributed over the course of the six-meet series. At each meet, $500 will be awarded for a first-place finish, $300 for second and $100 for third in all individual events. Arena is serving as the title sponsor for the Arena Grand Prix Series for the second straight season.

In addition to the prize money, swimmers will compete for a Series grand prize from BMW. For the first time in the history of the Series, BMW will give the highest-scoring eligible male and female U.S. swimmer a one-year lease of a BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series.

Male and female overall Arena Grand Prix Series champions will be honored at the conclusion of the 2013-14 series based on the number of points accumulated throughout the six meets. Participants will be awarded points in each individual Olympic event throughout the duration of the Series (Five points for first, three for second, one point for third place).

In addition to serving as the series finale, the Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara also serves as a key tune-up meet for the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships, which is slated for Aug. 6-10 in Irvine, California.

About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.